The Sports Bros.
It's the worst sports time of the year: But Blake, Jimmer & a Fathead save theday
As avid sports fans, this is the time of year we dread the most. The Super Bowl is quite possibly the year's most anticipated event, and once it's over, reality slowly starts to set in.
You wake up with a hangover — in more ways than one. You come to the slow realization that, until March Madness, there may very well be nothing good on.
Your brain starts to race. You could watch Duke play North Carolina, but knowing the tournament is where the money's at, a win/loss there does nothing for any of us (unless you're an alum or live in the central portion of North Carolina).
You're watching baseball stars show up in Florida and Arizona, and all you can do is wait for is Opening Day.
It all starts to set in: It's a bleak time. It's officially the sports doldrums.
We have no more excuses on Saturdays or Sundays to get out of events and functions — we have no football.
Baseball season is still a ways away, and pitchers and catchers reporting don't excite us all that much.
And for a good portion of sports fans (sorry lower Southeast), NASCAR doesn't fill the void. (NASCAR: It's like going to a bar, ordering a Guinness and the bartender saying, "Sorry, we're out of that. Would you like a Mich Ultra instead?")
And certainly no one cares about the PGA Tour now that Tiger Woods isn't being a transcendent talent.
And why is tennis is always on at 4 a.m.?
If you think like we do, than you're gonna need some help. Don't worry: The Sport Bros. will cure your sports hangover.
Watch all of the Friday Night Lights TV series
Barry is a self proclaimed TV snob, and according to him, this show totally delivers.
"It uses high school football in a small Texas town as a vehicle to discuss all sorts important issues," he says. "The characters are so three-dimensional — I dare you to not get emotionally attached to them. There’s suspense, drama, romance, comedy, and great football. If you’re concerned it’s more of a teen drama than a football show, the show takes great steps to make the football sequences extremely authentic."
Quick hint: If a significant other of yours is not a football fan, have he or she watch this show with you. It features — at maximum — five minutes of football an episode, so it might trick them into enjoying the sport. Kyle Chandler gives a perfect portrayal of Coach Taylor, the archetype of a TV hero.
Not only will this show fill your football void, but, as Barry can’t stress enough, WATCH THIS SHOW.
No spoilers: The series literally ended Feb. 9, and it totally delivered. (If you're curious, read his series review.)
Get familiar with Blake Griffin
The Blakeshow. The Poster Child. Blakeasaurus Rex. (That last one was Barry’s creation.) This LA Clipper is single-handedly the most exciting player in the NBA right now.
His athleticism and energy is amazing to behold. He's literally a human highlight reel providing thunderous dunks night after night — highlights we haven’t seen since Jordan or early Iverson. Just check out a few of these highlights.
Trust me: There’s room on the bandwagon for us all.
Start learning about college basketball
Filling out your March Madness bracket is a magical time. It's a whole month of your life, and you don't want to be left with egg on your face. Start doing the research now.
Let's play a game right quick. A sporcle of sorts. In 20 seconds, name the Top 10 college basketball teams.
Ready? We’ll wait...
I bet you could get a few: Kansas, Texas, Ohio State, Duke.
Did you nail San Diego State? BYU? Notre Dame? Wisconsin? Pittsburgh?
What’s great about this year is we have a few teams at the top who aren't familiar with the territory. There might not be a more exciting player in college basketball than BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, for example. He launches deep threes with reckless abandon and deadly accuracy. Thirty-foot bombs are like free throws to this kid.
Seriously, next time BYU plays, search the hashtag #jimmer on Twitter, and you’ll see the national obsession with this Cougar.
If it’s more in-depth analysis you crave, two of the better sites for great information are the 2011 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings (for info on teams) and Brian's Big Board (for NBA draft analysis on this year’s prospects).
Redecorate!
There’s only one way a true fan redecorates. Two words: Customizable Fatheads! Best $139.99 you’ll ever spend.